


Keys to His Cage

by Lack_of_Common_Sense



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Auction, Birthday, Captivity, Cute, Dry Orgasm, First Love, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Formal Japanese Clothing, Freedom, Gentle Sex, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Illustrations, Irezumi, Japanese Culture, Kissing, Love, M/M, Oaths & Vows, Sakazuki, Tattoos, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, Yakuza, creep-o-factor 2/10, density 3/10, i'm SOFT, mafia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:13:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26892745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lack_of_Common_Sense/pseuds/Lack_of_Common_Sense
Summary: The story of how Sakata Gintoki, the leader of an infamous yakuza clan named Hydra, obtained his most loyal follower, his right-hand man and his first long-term lover.Accompanied by a friend belonging to another clan, Gintoki attends a large-scale event hosted by various other clans’ leaders. There, at an auction, he sees a man being sold, and he instantly knows that he needs to bring him home no matter what – there is something in that man’s expression that draws Gintoki closer with unrelenting force. It is different from the adoration he’s always felt for his childhood friend, and it is different from a desire to own. He doesn’t understand it himself, but if need be, he’d buy this man just to set him free.Illustrated by Maru ❤
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki
Comments: 23
Kudos: 152
Collections: Gintoki's Birthday Bash 2020





	1. The Silver Dragon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Marucchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marucchi/gifts).



> This work has been written for Gintoki's Birthday Bash 2020, amazingly and mind-blowingly illustrated by the beautiful [maru](https://twitter.com/marrbl_?s=09). Do check her out, she's absolutely excellent!
> 
> I’m not sure if anyone still remembers, but there once used to be a Gintama fanfic by the name of Hydra’s Passion Play. It was a Gin/Hiji/Zura three-way (in that order) and every social role in it was properly upside down. I was the one who wrote it; unfortunately, though, I have deleted it in one of the hissy fits I threw, and it no longer exists. 
> 
> Zura is not a part of this fic, though.

“Your invitations, please.”

Gintoki handed his own over and waited for the guard to examine it. He was slightly uncomfortable; if possible, he preferred not to wear suits, but tonight, that couldn’t be avoided. Hasegawa, who was standing next to him, was pulling a similar face, but Gintoki knew that he was uneasy for different reasons. There were a lot of dangerous people around, and Hasegawa liked his peace; coming to places such as this one was making him antsy.

“Thank you for your patience. Please, this way,” the guard moved out of their way and bowed his head slightly.

“I’ll wait for you at the restaurant,” Gintoki glanced at Hasegawa, who nodded in response. This was their second time here, and Gintoki more or less knew what to expect. Normally, it was a casino resort open to whoever could afford to come in, but tonight, there was a private event being held, and ordinary people had no place here. It was seen as a certain form of recognition to be able to get invited at all.

The last time he was here was about half a year ago, and since then, his influence had grown considerably – especially since his last visit here was quite fruitful. He, like many others, had come here to make connections. There was not much business to be done, and rather than that, he had made sure that he was seen and recognised. Mindless chatter paved the way for future business relations, and Gintoki sought to make the most of that.

This time, he came here with more or less the same motivation; there was just one person he had to talk to for a deal already struck, and from then on, it was just going to be a night of gambling for money – though the real gamble was over alliances and power.

Last time, he had not gotten enough chances to investigate and explore, but he intended for tonight to be different. For the time being, he was headed to the restaurant he and Hasegawa got acquainted in. It was kind of funny that they both ended up meeting there, back then both feeling incredibly out of place. Hasegawa, unlike Gintoki, wasn’t his own master, and being here on someone else’s behalf made him unable to just leave as he pleased. Gintoki did not find that particularly enviable.

As the resort was on the outskirts of the city, it was quite spacious; Gintoki stopped atop a staircase descending towards the lower plaza with various restaurants and bars about. Like last time, it surprised him just how many people were attending. This event pulled in guests from all across the country, and not a single of them was clean, so to speak. If they weren’t mob bosses, they were at least connected with a group in some way or other, and those few who had the means to stay completely independent were the most fearsome of them all. It was no wonder Hasegawa hated coming here.

“If it isn’t the Hydra’s head,” a friendly tone rang out from his left.

Gintoki looked that way and saw a vaguely familiar man heading closer. “Good evening,” he said once the man was nearby.

He wasn’t sure what this man’s name was. It was one of the twins hosting this entire event, and as they were like two peas in a pod, Gintoki had absolutely no idea which one this was. Unfortunately, they both seemed to have taken a certain degree of interest in him, but as identical as they looked on the outside, they were polar opposites on the inside, and the same applied to their interests.

“I hope you had no trouble on your way here,” the host reached out his hand.

Gintoki took a hold of it and gave it a short firm squeeze. “None,” he smiled. “I guess I have you to thank for the quick drive here.”

“What kind of hosts would we be if we couldn’t even keep the law off the streets for one night,” the host gave a nonchalant chuckle. “Are you interested in tonight’s auction?”

“I’m not sure I should attend,” Gintoki replied evasively. “I don’t want that kind of attention just yet.” His group was not big enough for him to just casually stroll in.

The host’s smile became slightly unpleasant. “Special arrangements have been made,” he said vaguely. “Here, you can have a look at the items. Perhaps you’ll reconsider.” With that, he handed Gintoki a rather unassuming booklet. “I trust you’ll have a pleasant evening.”

“Thank you,” Gintoki took it. As the host turned to leave, Gintoki’s smile vanished. They all were a dangerous bunch, and walking among them was akin to being in a snake pit. It was odd that one of those snakes invited him personally to the auction that most of the event attendees hadn’t had the chance to see; Gintoki doubted he’d be allowed to enter via the usual means. The pamphlet alone was hardly enough – normally, a written invitation would be in order. There was no way the host didn’t know that.

Wondering what the host’s intentions were, Gintoki slowly made his way to the restaurant to wait for Hasegawa. It wasn’t unlikely that he was going to wait for a while, as Hasegawa probably had matters to resolve first.

He settled down at one of the tables; a waiter quickly brought him a glass of water and the menu and scurried off. Not paying it any mind, Gintoki made himself comfortable and opened the brochure he received.

As far as he could tell, most of the things being auctioned were collectors’ items, no doubt illegally obtained, and he did not really have any interest in them. Paintings were nice and all, but he was not going to spend his group’s money on art. They were not that big just yet, and to do that seemed pointless.

He turned a page.

When he heard a familiar sound of footsteps, he looked up.

“I feel like I’m in a tigers’ enclosure,” Hasegawa said, sitting down across the table. “I wish I could have stayed home.”

“Come on, it’s not that big a deal, is it?” Gintoki turned to the next page.

“What have you got there?” Hasegawa chose to change the topic instead of talking about how nervous he was.

“I was given the plans for tonight’s auction.”

“How come?” Hasegawa asked, slightly surprised. “That’s for the big shots, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, yeah. To be honest, I don’t plan on going today, but what do you know, maybe one of these days I’ll get to…” Gintoki stopped mid-sentence and stared at the page intently. “Hasegawa-san.”

“Hm?”

“We’re going to have to get to the auction after all.”

“What? Why?”

“You’re not going to like this.” Gintoki held up the booklet.

Hasegawa leaned in to get a better look and promptly paled in the face. “Give me that,” he said and took it from Gintoki’s hands even before Gintoki could react. “This… this isn’t right.”

Gintoki lowered his voice into a whisper. “I am going to win that auction.”

“Are you that well-off?” Hasegawa said doubtfully, still frowning at the page in front of him. “I’ll admit that this is not pretty, but…”

“I’m not,” Gintoki confirmed. “That’s why I’m going to need you to lend me some money in case things get out of hand.”

“I’m not that rich, either, and it’s not like I can use my boss’s assets,” Hasegawa objected. “Remember, we did not come here for this kind of thing.”

“Even so,” Gintoki insisted. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if I allowed this. In other words, my plans have changed – as of right now.”

Hasegawa narrowed his eyes in an attempt to read the smaller script. “Trained to be sensitive, with an excellent physique, for your enjoyment kept a vir—” he couldn’t finish, breaking into a coughing fit. “You can’t be serious,” he said once he was able to breathe.

“Hasegawa-san.” Gintoki’s tone became more exigent. “I am actually begging you.”

“Why, though?” Hasegawa said uneasily, looking away. “You’ve never struck me as _that type_ , Gin-san.”

Gintoki’s eyes widened in realisation. “Oh,” he chuckled briefly, “I don’t want him as a _pet_. And even if I had that kind of hobby – which I don’t, just so we’re clear – I wouldn’t want you to help me pay for that.”

Hasegawa grumbled something unintelligible.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Gintoki leaned closer. “Plus, of course, I’ll only rely on you if the price ends up going too high. I’m not exactly on a budget, but the Hydra _is_ in need of funds right now, and I can’t afford to blow our entire savings on him, even if I _am_ severely tempted.”

“All the more reason you shouldn’t do this,” Hasegawa insisted.

“That’s a _person_ we’re talking about,” Gintoki frowned a little. “It’s the first time I’ve heard of a human being sold here; I don’t know how many there were before him, but if I have a say in it, it’s going to be the last one.” With the way the host spoke to him earlier, it seemed that he – or the both of them, perhaps – were unhappy with the situation as well, but their hands were tied; if that indeed was the case, then he was most likely going to have their support in his attempt to stop this altogether.

“I’m saying we shouldn’t shoot farther than we can reach,” Hasegawa’s reply was sheepish in tone. “We can’t make an offer we’d be unable to pay.”

Gintoki’s eyes fell back to the photos of the man in question. He hadn’t seen him in person yet; despite that, he was already certain that he needed to do as much as he could to win him.

He _could_ try and contact the hosts and get to the auctioneer in order to buy the man beforehand, but he doubted it would work. Not only would this way possibly prove to be much more costly, but the ‘item’ had already been made known, so there were surely others wanting to win. The hosts were unlikely to approve of this so straightforwardly, too.

He pursed his lips. “I think I should call in some favours.” He stopped tapping his fingers on the table and got up resolutely.

“Right now?!”

“Yesterday would have been too late,” Gintoki ruffled his hair unhappily, “but I need to at least try. I’ll be back soon.”

“Where are you going?”

Gintoki sighed unhappily as he half-glanced back at Hasegawa. “I’m going to get privately humiliated. I had hoped to get this over with last minute so it wouldn’t drag out, but it can’t be helped. I’ll call you once I’m done.”

With that, he got up and walked out to the lower plaza again, pulling out his phone on the way to make a quick call.

Before long, he stood in front of a hotel room, slightly nervous for all the wrong reasons.

He raised his hand to knock, and the door opened.

“Gin-san!” a pair of arms wrapped around his neck. He stiffened up but allowed the woman in front of him to drag him inside.

Sarutobi Ayame was one of those he knew he should be wary of. By all means, she was lethal to whoever crossed her, but Gintoki got lucky – she seemed to like him a lot and even attempted to make him go along with a… hobby of hers several times. So far, he managed to reject her every offer, but today he had to ask for help, and that could mean he’d have to agree to follow her wishes.

“It’s so nice to see you this soon,” she beamed as she let go of him. “I thought you were going to show up later.”

“Yes, well…” Gintoki said hesitantly, “I actually wanted to ask for a favour.”

“That’s sly,” she narrowed her eyes and pushed her red-rimmed glasses up her nose. “You know I have a soft spot for you.”

“That is exactly why I’m asking,” Gintoki shrugged his shoulders simply.

“Right,” she laughed shortly. “Before that, though – did you bring it?”

Gintoki reached into his pocket and showed her a flash drive, but when she reached for it, he clutched it in his fist. “Promise me,” he said firmly, “that you’ll help me.”

Her painted lips curved into a smile. “You’re being foolish.”

“Maybe so,” he replied simply. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t urgent, though.”

“What do you need, then?” she leaned closer.

“I need to get to the auction tonight,” Gintoki said without further beating around the bush.

“If it’s just that,” Sarutobi smiled, “I’ll let you go in my place. In return, how about you and I,” she reached up and trailed her finger down his chest, “have some fun tonight?”

Gintoki tensed up.

“That, or,” she said with disappointment audible in her voice, “you can pay me with _that_.” She held up her hand.

Gintoki clenched his teeth. “In that case, there’s going to be two of us going to the auction,” he responded. Just handing the flash drive over would mean a significant financial loss, as he was promised a large sum for it. If nothing else, he wanted to use it to get Hasegawa in there as well.

“Two?” she narrowed her eyes. “Who’s your plus one?”

“It’s not a woman if that’s what you’re worried about,” Gintoki assured her. Ultimately, he did not care in the least if she got jealous over stupid things, since they were not involved, not _really_ – but he wanted to make sure that she’d do what he needed.

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll do what you ask – if you hand it over.”

“Here.” Gintoki finally let her have the flash drive.

“Someone will find you later with your invitations and masks,” she said, her voice now stern.

“Masks?” he parroted.

“It’s a masked event,” Sarutobi said, and Gintoki finally understood what the host meant when he mentioned ‘special arrangements’ when Gintoki hinted he’d rather not show his face at such an auction just yet.

“I’ll call you to let you know. You can leave – unless you’d like to stay with me until the auction starts?” Sarutobi tried to lure him in one last time.

Only once he was outside did Gintoki feel a little relieved. He didn’t _hate_ her, exactly, but he was not particularly fond of her, either. Her advances were making things worse, especially since as far as he was concerned, _that_ was never happening. Only a fool would enter an intimate relationship with a deadly viper such as herself.

* * *

The auction was held at a theatre which usually served as a concert venue. Last time, Gintoki was not interested in coming here at all, but this time he had a reason and it was not wanting to admire the architectural ingenuity of the place.

With Sarutobi Ayame’s help, they were masked and then discreetly escorted to a VIP seating; that was more than Gintoki could even begin to hope for, especially since for him, having a mask was pointless – his hair colour was a dead giveaway.

The auction began, and he and Hasegawa sat next to each other silently, occasionally betting so that it wouldn’t seem suspicious, but never trying too hard to win anything. They had to save up; it was beyond their capabilities to guess just how much they were going to have to dish out in the end.

Finally, the curtains closed, and the same host who had been talking throughout the auction and giving details on each item walked up in front of it. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the highlight of our evening,” he said, his voice showing just the same level of enthusiasm as with any other item. Even so, the atmosphere in the audience ever so subtly changed. Some of them had been _waiting_ for exactly this.

Gintoki’s sharp ears caught some shuffling sounds behind the curtain.

“Generously _donated_ to us by a _friend_ ,” the host said, stressing some words to indicate that nothing was ever simple in this world, “this is possibly the most intriguing – though not the most expensive – item we have here tonight. I am certain that many of you are going to be interested.”

A spotlight centred onto the stage; the host beckoned with a theatrical gesture for the curtains to open.

They opened.

There was a tall cage in the middle of the stage, with two strong-looking men behind it and a suited-up assistant to the side. Inside the cage, a beast was bound.

The photos in the brochure did not do the man justice at all. He was kneeling on the floor of the cage, with his arms bound above his head just so that he wouldn’t be able to sit down. Save for a piece of rather tasteless leather-like underwear covering him up, he was naked, and so Gintoki could see _everything_ from where he was sitting. The man’s body was lean and taut, and even from afar, his skin seemed soft to the touch.

His black hair with v-shaped bangs wasn’t long enough to hide his beautifully sculpted face; with his steely eyes with a shapely nose in between them and arched eyebrows above, and a pair of cheekbones one could get cut on, he was a sight to behold.

What intrigued Gintoki the most, however – and Gintoki realised he was holding his breath – was the man’s expression. He was glaring daggers at the masked crowd in front of him, and despite being in a shameful position, despite being nought but a meat exhibit, he stood – _knelt_ – proud and unbroken.

If there was any doubt left in Gintoki, it was washed away by that gaze. Gintoki _had to_ win this no matter the cost.

“As you might have read, he has been trained in various ways to be the most exquisite pet of all. While he has been taught to please both a master and a mistress, his body is virginal, so he’s very sensitive,” the host nodded at his assistant. The assistant showed a feather she’d been hiding behind her back, and slowly, she reached through the bars of the cage to run the feather down the man’s bare chest.

Gintoki’s knee hit the table painfully. The poor bastard in the cage _immediately_ had an erection, and with the spotlight on him, there was no way anyone in the room would fail to notice.

“The starting price is 950 000 yen.”

“Damn,” Gintoki muttered.

“What?” Hasegawa whispered back.

“The starting price is never at 100%,” Gintoki explained. “If we’re lucky, it won’t get over two times the starting price, but I doubt that. Some of the people down there seemed super excited.”

“So what does this mean, then?” Hasegawa wanted a simple answer.

Gintoki rubbed his nape nervously. “If it gets over 2,5 million yen, I’ll need backing.”

“Got it.”

In the end, Gintoki needed to reach into the Hydra’s savings _and_ ask Hasegawa for help, winning at the cost of 3 680 000 yen and not a dime left at his disposal. His stomach was in knots when the host _finally_ announced that the gentleman in the VIP lounge had won. He wasn’t sure how much he had lost on this, but he knew that what he and Hasegawa ended up paying was a little over a year of his earnings – and that was gross earnings, not nett. Thanks to Hasegawa’s aid, the Hydra was not going to immediately keel over, but they were going to have to work extra hard from now on.

Gintoki wrote down the sum he owed to Hasegawa on the back of the pamphlet, signed it and handed it to him. As soon as he did that, there was a knock on the door of their VIP box. A masked man entered, and in a whisper, he politely told them where to come to in order to claim their winnings.

The auction continued, but there was nothing else Gintoki was interested in, and so, in no rush, he and Hasegawa left the VIP box and made their way to the designated room. Hasegawa seemed nervous, but Gintoki, now that the most difficult part was over, was almost looking forward to it. He was very curious as to what kind of a person the black-haired man was. Even now, thinking of those steely eyes, he felt a chill. How was it possible that such strength was chained and put up for sale?

Making a mental note to later find out more about the _friend_ the host had mentioned, Gintoki kept walking at a steady pace.

He and Hasegawa entered the designated room together. One of the hosts – Gintoki wasn’t sure which one – stood there along with several large men. In between them, the black-haired man was standing; he was now fully clothed in a monochrome dark attire. He was blindfolded and his hands were behind his back, so Gintoki guessed they were bound.

“There’s your spoils,” Hasegawa murmured. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Gin-san.”

Gintoki laughed shortly. “Do I ever?”

“That’s exactly what worries me,” Hasegawa said under his breath, but Gintoki paid him no mind. Instead, he walked over to the two larger men who were holding a year’s worth of Gintoki’s earnings firmly in check. Slowly, he reached out.

When his fingertips lightly touched the raven’s chin to tilt it up slightly, a jolt ran through the man’s whole body.

“There really is no point in you wearing a mask, is there,” the host said, and by his voice, Gintoki recognised him as one of the twins, though he wasn’t sure if this was the same one who welcomed him upon arrival; the mask wasn’t making this any easier. “I wondered who it was that managed to convince Sarutobi-san to give away her VIP seats. So it was you.”

“I hope that’s not a problem,” Gintoki said with a small chuckle, letting his hand fall back to his side.

“Not at all,” the host shook his head. “It was quite the show. Is it possible that you were…” the host leaned in, “… an interested party? I’ve never heard of you trying to obtain something so recklessly. Didn’t think you were the type.”

“Trust me, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Gintoki replied. His demeanour was still light-hearted, but his voice now had a sharp, cold undertone.

“Oh, that I do not doubt,” the host said with mirth echoing in his words. “I’ll be watching you. We’ll _all_ be watching.”

“You say that as if there ever was a time you _weren’t_ watching,” Gintoki smiled under his mask. “It’s going to take a lot more than that if you want to intimidate me.”

“Oh my, why would I ever want to do that?” the host chuckled. Then, finally, he stepped back. “Will you be staying? We can keep him locked up until you leave if you prefer.”

“I need to head back,” Gintoki shook his head, “but thank you.”

“Are you sure?” The host gestured at one of his bodyguards and was handed the event schedule; then, he glanced at his watch. “You’ll definitely make it in time for the lottery, and there’s the banquet, too…”

Gintoki furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. He _should_ attend the banquet – that was his primary reason to come here, after all. He had intended to mingle and make useful connections, but now, he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Instead, he wanted to take his winnings and leave. Immediately.

After a brief consideration, he shook his head curtly. “I’ll let my associate have all the fun this time,” he said, tilting his head towards Hasegawa.

“Pity,” the host said, and he seemed genuinely disappointed, judging by how his shoulders sagged. “I’ll have my men accompany you and your _prize_ to your car. Here,” he added, holding out his hand, “the key to his handcuffs.”

“Thank you.” Gintoki took the key and bowed his head slightly as a sign of respect. Having received the same sign of courtesy from the host, he turned to leave; on his way out, he patted Hasegawa’s shoulder. “Good luck in the lottery,” he said. “Let me know what you won later.”

“Y-Yeah,” Hasegawa nodded. “I don’t know what you’re planning,” he then whispered, “but don’t overdo it.”

“Don’t worry,” Gintoki reassured him and finally walked out, clutching the key firmly in his hand. He didn’t want to add to Hasegawa’s worries, but he wasn’t really planning anything. At this point, he had achieved his goal – the man he bought was not going to become anyone’s slave, and that was what mattered. Gintoki hadn’t thought past this point just yet.

As they were making their way to the parking lot, Gintoki glanced over his shoulder to look at his ‘prize’. To his surprise, the handcuffed man, though he was blindfolded, was walking firmly and steadily, and rather than dragging him or holding him down, the bodyguards were only steering him along the right path.

Again, a strange sensation washed over him. There was so much strength left in the man despite the humiliating situation he was in that Gintoki almost couldn’t tear his eyes away. With this man, more than with anyone else, it would be a damn shame to keep him locked up.

At this time of night, most of the event participants were inside all the different venues, and so they hardly met any people outside; despite that, Gintoki made sure not to make his escape too speedy. He had two reasons – one, he really did not want to cause any more fuss than he already had, and two, though his ‘prize’ was walking just fine, he still couldn’t see a damn thing, so to make him walk too fast would be unsavoury.

When they reached the parking lot, he took his mask off. As the host said, there truly was no point in it, and they were leaving now, anyway.

His driver, who had been smoking by the car, dropped his cigarette onto the ground and smothered its light under the sole of his shoe. “I’m sorry, boss,” he said, “I did not expect you to be back this early.”

“The situation has changed,” Gintoki replied in an authoritative tone and nodded towards the handcuffed man nearby, still being guarded from either side. “We’re taking him home.”

The driver knew better than to question his boss’s judgement, and so he just opened the door wordlessly.

Gintoki gestured at the bodyguards, and they made his ‘prize’ sit in the car. Gintoki then proceeded to get in as well.

He glanced to his right; the blindfolded man was curled up in his seat, silent.

“Are we going home right away, boss?” Gintoki’s driver looked at them through the mirror.

“Give me a moment.” Gintoki leaned to his ‘prize’ and reached past him to fasten the man’s seatbelt; on accident, his hand brushed the man’s shoulder.

The man whimpered, shuddering.

Gintoki’s expression darkened as he clicked the seatbelt into place and retreated into his own seat. Just now, he could smell some sort of medicine on the man’s breath; it was as clear as day that they made him drink something before handing him over. Though he was fine when being pushed along by the bodyguards, it seemed to have started taking effect now, and when Gintoki paid attention, he could hear that the poor bastard’s breathing was heavier.

He was angry; while he had been aware just what kind of people would gather here, this was far more than he could tolerate.

The drive back was sombre in mood.

Upon reaching the headquarters, they were welcomed by some of the members who had been waiting. Gintoki instructed them to lead the handcuffed man to the leader’s rooms, and then he had a quick toilet break because he had been keeping it in since the auction began, and it was becoming unbearable.

When he entered his bedroom, he found the man he brought home sitting motionlessly on his bed, still cuffed and blindfolded.

Slowly, he closed the distance between them. The man heard him and tilted his head a little to hear Gintoki’s footsteps better, but otherwise, he did not react.

Swallowing hard, Gintoki sat down on the bed as well and reached out to the man’s shackles to unlock them, doing his best to touch him as little as he could. He couldn’t be sure how much physical contact was bearable for the other; after all, he was shown just how sensitive this poor sod was, and with the drug possibly still in his system, the man was probably out of his mind just touching the bed he was sitting on.

Gintoki let out a silent sigh of relief when he heard the handcuffs click and unlock.

Finally free, the man hesitantly lay his hands in his lap, rubbing his wrists. They were a little reddish, but thankfully undamaged – if Gintoki found that the cuffs caused bruises, he’d have been furious.

He watched the man for a few moments. The poor sod was all tense, and it was hardly any wonder. As far as he knew, his future did not seem exactly bright, and Gintoki didn’t really know what to tell him to ease his worries.

“You can take your blindfold off,” he said softly in the end, not wanting to make the situation worse.

The raven obeyed slowly, blinking into the light as the dark cloth unveiled his eyes. _Pretty_ , Gintoki thought momentarily. This up-close, his eyes were extraordinarily beautiful.

For a while, neither of them said a word, they just sized each other up.

“What’s your name?” Gintoki finally spoke.

“Whatever you call me,” the man replied curtly, giving a small shrug. He had a pleasant voice, deep and slightly husky, one that suited him perfectly.

Gintoki pursed his lips briefly. “No,” he shook his head. “Tell me your name.”

There were several seconds of silence. “Hijikata Toshiro,” the man sifted through his teeth eventually, looking down at his hands still resting in his lap. He was clearly uncomfortable, and though he was trying hard not to let it show, he’d likely much rather be just about anywhere else.

“Sakata Gintoki,” Gintoki introduced himself as well. “You hungry?”

Surprised at the abrupt change of topic, Hijikata shot him a confused look which then grew into an expression of distrust. He didn’t respond.

Gintoki repeated his question.

“… No,” Hijikata said. Promptly after, with impressive comical timing, his stomach growled, and he turned red in the face.

Gintoki’s mouth involuntarily curved into a smile. “I’m gonna get you something to eat.”

“No, really, I don’t—” there was another growl, and Hijikata turned redder despite still having an insistent expression.

“Don’t be a dumbass. When was the last time you ate?”

Hijikata hung his head again. “I’m… not sure.”

“Like I’m gonna let you starve,” Gintoki jumped to his feet, mildly annoyed. “I’ll be right back with some food, and you better stuff your face like your life depends on it.”

With that, he stormed off, internally calling every demon and misfortune he could think of onto the head of the person who ruined Hijikata so badly. To reject food while hungry, did he think that Gintoki would make him suck someone off for it? Unbelievable. _Un-fucking-believable._

Right after he took care of Hijikata, he was going to start looking for whoever was responsible. Doing illegal shit was one matter, but _slavery?!_ Gintoki would personally murder anyone who’d do that kind of thing. This whole affair was making his blood boil.

He raided the kitchen mercilessly – not like anyone was there at this time of night to get in the way – and ended up stacking various dishes and leftovers onto a tray. None of them went with one another, but he didn’t even care. Food was food.

Just for good measure, he stuffed a bottle of mayonnaise in his pocket and made his way back.

Hijikata was still sitting in the exact same spot where Gintoki had left him, and it was clear that he hadn’t moved at all. When Gintoki shoved the door open with his foot, he twitched a little, possibly startled, and Gintoki felt deeply bitter all over again. He didn’t want to know what exactly it was that turned him into a wounded beast, but he desperately wanted to make it clear to Hijikata that he only ever intended to help him.

“Here,” he said, setting it down on his entirely empty working desk, “eat up.”

Hijikata’s eyes shifted lower.

Gintoki tilted his head in mild confusion, but then he remembered. “Oh, I brought this as well,” he added, taking out the mayo and setting it down next to the food.

Hijikata swallowed audibly – and then he got up, and cautiously, he walked over to the desk. Before he sat down, he glanced in Gintoki’s direction, apparently looking for a confirmation that it was okay, that Gintoki wasn’t going to forbid him to eat in the last second, and Gintoki’s heart grew another layer of ice on it.

Finally, Hijikata settled down and began eating, and Gintoki sat on his bed, mesmerised. He felt he was watching a predator in captivity – Hijikata was wolfing the food down with vigour Gintoki did not expect but had hoped to see. Hijikata seemed to have a lot of inner strength, a desire to live, and Gintoki found himself wondering if he could convince Hijikata to stay. He was going to feed him and then let him go, and there was no way he’d hold Hijikata here against his will, but he suddenly felt that with some training and a place to call home, Hijikata Toshiro would be a valuable addition to the clan. They’d formed relatively recently, and to have someone with a spine (and, Gintoki added as a side note, beautiful eyes) of steel in the group would definitely be good. They needed more people to have more influence and control over their area, and Hijikata seemed like a blade that needed sharpening and polishing to show the true power hiding under all the rust and grime of his previous life.

“That’s a _lot_ of mayo,” he muttered.

Hijikata froze and looked at him. His hand with the mayonnaise bottle did not move, and as they made eye contact, a huge blob of mayonnaise poured out, covering all of the food remaining in that plate in whiteness.

“Geez. You don’t have to eat that anymore,” Gintoki said with a chuckle, getting up.

“No,” Hijikata shook his head. “I’ll eat it.”

Thinking back, Gintoki remembered seeing Hijikata’s body in that cage. Back then he figured they fed him just fine, but now it seemed to him that instead, Hijikata was kept on a strict diet, and having received so much food all of a sudden made him want to eat it all.

He didn’t interfere and sat back down instead, wordlessly waiting until all of the food was gone. Only after that did Hijikata look at Gintoki again.

“What now?” he asked, though his tone was more than just reluctant.

Gintoki eyed him. “Well, I think you should wash your face,” he suggested. “You’ve got some—” he gestured generally around his mouth.

Hijikata turned red again and got up, turning to head out.

“Bathroom’s the door at the end of the corridor,” Gintoki called after him.

Hijikata paused in the entrance just to nod curtly, and then he was gone.

It took him a few minutes and just when Gintoki began wondering if Hijikata didn’t take the matter of his freedom into his own hands, the door opened again, and the raven stood there sheepishly, one of his hands instinctively guarding his stomach. “So, what now?” he repeated his question, and this time, it only came out as a whisper.

“Nothing?” Gintoki looked at him. “I was going to let you get some proper rest and then let you go in the morning.”

Hijikata froze. “Why?”

Gintoki did not reply, he just raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question.

“What would you try so hard to win me for, then?” Hijikata finally stepped in and closed the door behind himself.

“You don’t mean to tell me that you wanted me to do some of the things they were suggesting, right?” Gintoki looked at him, shaking his head.

“I _expected_ that you’d do something,” Hijikata said; his pose was still defensive, and he was still standing by the closed door.

“Well, I’m not gonna. Who are they to tell me what to do?” Gintoki said, shrugging his shoulders. “You’re free to leave, Hijikata-kun. Unless, of course,” he added, “you decide to stay. As a member, I mean.”

“You want to… recruit me?” With eyes wide open in sheer disbelief, Hijikata slowly made his way back to the chair he had previously eaten in.

“Pretty much, yeah. Only if you want to, though.” Gintoki leaned back a little. Yes, if Hijikata chose to stay and to work with the group, Gintoki was now convinced that he’d more than balance out the financial loss they’d suffered. There was _something_ about Hijikata he did not have a name for, but it made him want to trust this man – something much more substantial than just a general good feeling.

“I have no skills that would make me useful,” Hijikata objected. “I can only…” he bowed his head to hide the redness of shame that crept up to his face again.

“We’d teach you,” Gintoki shrugged his shoulders. “Nobody goes into this _with_ the skills they need. That’s something you can get the hang of gradually.”

Hijikata was still looking down, hesitating, thinking hard.

Gintoki ruffled his hair sheepishly. “I have no plans to make use of the,” he coughed, “ _skills_ you have now. If you choose to join me, I’ll personally make sure you get all the training you need. I won’t tell anyone about your…” he paused, looking for the right word, “previous skillset, either. As I said, though, you can refuse my offer. You can sleep on it first, too. There’s no need to give me an answer straight away.”

“I’ll do that, then,” Hijikata nodded. “Sleep on it, I mean.”

“Okay,” Gintoki got up. “You can sleep here if you want. I still have some things to do, and I might not be back until morning, but I’m sure you’ll manage.”

“Before you go,” Hijikata got up as well, “I’m sorry, but could you lend me something to change into?”

Gintoki eyed him. That request made sense – the clothes Hijikata was wearing seemed uncomfortable, and if he was still wearing that leather-made poor excuse for underwear under, it was probably unbearable.

He walked over to his closet and took out his daywear yukata and a pair of boxers. “Here,” he said, tossing the clothes onto the bed, “you can have this for now, and we’ll get you something proper to wear tomorrow. That okay?”

Hijikata nodded.

“Cool. See you later, Hijikata-kun,” Gintoki gave him a grin and walked out. He had to _immediately_ start looking for the bastard who had the audacity to ruin a human life in this way.


	2. The Ebony Dragon

Hijikata Toshiro was incredibly frustrated.

He had always assumed that the training he had received in the past – prior to his arrival to the Hydra’s headquarters – was something he’d _never_ want to use. He had hated the thought that he’d be used for such purposes, and even now, imagining any and all people touching him sent cold shivers down his spine. And yet, he found himself upset and displeased by the lack of interest in his body Gintoki displayed.

Almost a year had passed since Gintoki brought him home.

Hijikata now considered this his home, too.

It had been quite a while since the last time he had a place to truly belong. It was great not to feel so horribly trapped and alone as he did in the past, and with Gintoki’s support in the beginning, he fit right in. Gintoki even liked him enough to keep him at his side when he discussed business or territorial issues, and so Hijikata learned a lot rather quickly. The group was smaller than he had anticipated upon arrival, and it didn’t take the other members long to show various degrees of at least reluctant acceptance towards him.

Hijikata soon found out that Gintoki’s word was not to be questioned. As a concept, that was hardly a surprise – but Gintoki was usually very laid-back, and most of the time it did not look like he was giving out orders. Still, his men always did what he said to the dot.

Hijikata also discovered that the Hydra’s head appeared lazy. Incredibly so. Much more so than a yakuza leader should ever be. Then, however, as he observed Gintoki further, he realised that this was not all. The fact that Gintoki was lazy was indisputable, but Hijikata noticed that Gintoki was using his carefree attitude partly as a front, fully aware that people would take him lightly. He _was_ responsible, just not in the ways people normally were.

There was a handful of problems Hijikata had when it came to dealing with Gintoki. The laziness was one thing, but he could handle that. A much, much worse issue was the sparring.

Gintoki, knowing that Hijikata was a bit too sensitive due to the way he was brought up in the latter half of his life, offered that he’d be the one – and the only one – to teach Hijikata to fight. That, all things considered, was a good thing. Hijikata was sure that close physical contact with other people could result in undesirable and extremely awkward situations. Not to mention, he did not want the others to know about his unfortunate condition.

The problem here was that Gintoki’s presence was extremely unhelpful. To put it simply, whenever he and Gintoki were close to each other, he’d get a little… agitated. Not to an extent where it was unbearable, but his palms were sweaty and mouth dry, which was the exact opposite of how it should be, and Hijikata, to his dismay, knew exactly whose stupid perm-headed ass was at fault.

At first, it was just the physicality of the sparring, but then it became more frequent and more problematic over time, and every now and then, Hijikata felt his heartbeat quicken just because he was near Gintoki.

It was even worse when Gintoki happened to _smile_. Genuine smiles were a supreme rarity, but when Hijikata lucked out and saw one, it was like a bolt of lightning from clear skies. The fact that he didn’t consider Gintoki _that_ attractive in the beginning made everything just a tad more difficult. If he could, he’d take those rose-tinted glasses right off.

He had taken up smoking. At first, he didn’t like it, but it gave him more plausible excuses to avoid Gintoki; he couldn’t bear being alone together with him. He was certain that Gintoki had noticed because whenever he invited Hijikata to come along, and Hijikata refused, Gintoki never insisted.

Another reason why he wanted to avoid being with Gintoki was the picture Gintoki kept in his room. It was just a small framed photo of a man with long black hair, one whose name Hijikata didn’t know, and as far as he could tell, that man was a civilian. It wouldn’t have been that strange, except Gintoki was far from the sentimental type. Hijikata caught him looking at that photo several times, and he could more or less tell why Gintoki was keeping it. Worse, the picture seemed as though it was taken in secret, thus adding more hints the message of which Hijikata would have preferred not to have understood.

In a way, it was worse than Gintoki being interested in some woman – Gintoki just had to turn out to be into guys, too, and in this way, Hijikata’s spark of hope was lit and extinguished in so close a succession that it didn’t have the time to warm him up from the inside. They looked nothing alike, and so Hijikata couldn’t even try and become a substitute for that man.

The evening when he entered Gintoki’s room and saw Gintoki gently touching the picture with his fingertips was the same evening he realised he was in love – in love and hopelessly, painfully jealous.

At the very least, he wanted to be useful, and so he threw himself into work. He didn’t have to do this alone, as after several months, Gintoki had assigned him a few men to work with. Now, instead of moping over what he felt he had no right to have, he was pushing himself and his four-man squad past the limit. He had to make up for the financial loss caused on that fateful night, after all. There was no limit on how far he was willing to go for the group, and for the boss as well.

However, the reason he wanted to be touched by Gintoki had nothing to do with his gratitude. He had originally thought that the confusing state he found himself in surely reared its ugly head solely because Gintoki saved him from an inescapable hellhole, and possibly from a fate worse than death. He tried to convince himself that it was but some kind of suspension bridge effect, that he was mistaken, or that it was due to the teachings instilled in him that he thought he had to repay people with his body.

By now, though, he knew it was different – that he had fallen for this miscreant. Completely, without a chance to not fall for him, and when he fell, he bruised both of his knees and hit his goddamn head when he tried to get up. There was no going back from these feelings.

Right now, he was leaning onto a wall, smoking and watching his men threaten some poor sod who owed the Hydra money. It brought him little joy to do such things, but he at least tried to be fair when he could. As long as the person owing stuck to the payment schedule, Hijikata did not go for the intimidation tactic – or, he wouldn’t, but he was constantly pissed lately because of a certain perm-head, so his presence alone was enough to make the weaker people shake in their shoes.

This time, unfortunately, the debtor was trying to talk his way out of it – he didn’t even try to ask for an extension, he straight-out had the gall to beg to be pardoned the remaining debt. Hijikata was a lot of things, but lenient wasn’t one of them. “Hold him down,” he said from where he was standing. The alley they were in was draughty, and he felt cold, which didn’t improve his mood in the least.

He stepped in and leaned closer to the struggling man. “You see,” he said, his expression dark, “I wanted to be nice, but now I can’t.” He grabbed the guy’s wrist, and holding it firmly in his grip, he took his cigarette from his mouth with his other hand. Forcing his ‘client’ to show his palm, he added, “I could ask the boys to rough you up a little, but I wouldn’t want them to overdo it, so…”

The man screamed when his skin sizzled under Hijikata’s cigarette. Hijikata didn’t let go until the screaming stopped and was replaced with just painful groaning.

Before Gintoki intervened, Hijikata had seen much worse than this, he had learned much worse than this, and so he could _do_ much worse than this. The ‘client’ did not know about any of that, or that he was in fact getting off pretty easy for now.

“Yamazaki,” Hijikata gestured at the one guy whose hands were free at the moment. Yamazaki stepped closer and held out a portable ashtray; Hijikata dropped the now dead cigarette butt into it, and then he turned to their ‘client’ again. When he spoke, his voice was calm and held no hostility. “Don’t make me do something you’d regret.”

The client let out a high-pitched sound and despite being held firmly in place, he attempted to back away. There were tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, and Hijikata felt an unwelcome twinge of guilt. He did not like doing this after all, but under normal circumstances, he did not have to. Such problems only ever arose when the ‘clients’ forgot who Hijikata was, and they began getting comfortable.

He reached into his pocket and checked his phone for time. “Seems like he gets it,” he said, eyeing the pallid man in front of him. “Let’s go.”

With slightly confused expressions, his men let go of the ‘client’ and stepped away. “We’ll be back in two days,” Hijikata leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “You’d better have the money by then. Don’t think of running, either.”

The ‘client’ finally backed away, nodding frantically.

“I thought—” Yamazaki began, but Hijikata shook his head curtly, cutting him off.

“We don’t have the time to wait for him here to cough it up,” he explained sourly. “Not today. We’re already behind our schedule.” With that, he turned to head back to their car.

“You keep track of the schedule?” he heard Sougo behind him; that question was whispered to Yamazaki.

“Don’t you remember?” Yamazaki replied in a similarly hushed voice. “It’s the First Head’s birthday.”

“Ohh,” Sougo dragged out his answer in a mildly amused manner.

Hijikata, who could hear them clearly, did not say anything, but he got in the car and slammed the door so hard it startled a nearby flock of birds into flight. The fact that he was exceptionally fond of the boss was hardly a secret, of course – anyone could see that much. The reasons were obvious, too. Every single person in the group knew that Gintoki had saved Hijikata from an unsavoury fate, and they had no reasons to question Hijikata’s boundless loyalty.

That was why Hijikata, rather than being annoyed that Sougo would mock him jokingly, was just ticked that they whispered behind his back even though he heard every word. More so, it was getting on his nerves that they had to hurry lest they’d be late.

They all got into the car, and Hijikata finally let out a silent breath of relief when they set off. For him to come late to the boss’s birthday celebrations would be inexcusable, even though the boss himself would likely forgive him. He had to come back as soon as he could, and to make sure that the whole headquarters were in excellent condition, that there was not a speck of dust to stain this important day… and of course, that all the members would be wearing their best clothes, himself included.

This was his first time celebrating the boss’s birthday, and he could hardly conceal his excitement. After all, it was such a joyous occasion – for a man like Sakata Gintoki to be alive, the whole world should be celebrating.

He looked out the window, hiding a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was looking forward to it, had been for the past month or so, and he riled up the whole damn headquarters when he found out. Gintoki was not one to hold a grandiose celebration of his own birthday, but Hijikata was having none of that.

There was _one_ stain on today already, though – he didn’t have a present.

Some time after Gintoki found out that they were planning to celebrate, he took Hijikata aside and told him not to buy a present of any kind. As far as Hijikata knew, that was something Gintoki asked only of Hijikata and no-one else, and it was confusing to say the least, and disappointing to the same degree. Despite having grown up sheltered from the outside world for years, Hijikata knew what birthdays were, and while he did not care much for his own, he wanted to make the most of the day that his most important person was born.

And yet, he was not allowed to give Gintoki anything. Gintoki did not exactly forbid it, but to Hijikata, much like to any other member of the clan, Gintoki’s words were as though cast in stone. Therefore, he decided that he’d at least make sure that the celebrations were _perfect_ in every way.

There was a present he had considered before.

He was not sure how well it would be received, though.

That man from the picture in Gintoki’s bedroom – Hijikata had seen him walking down the street. It would have been incredibly easy to just clobber him over the head and drag him to the headquarters. Hell, he’d even slap a ribbon on that guy, and he’d hand him over to Gintoki like an all-you-can-eat course, but… first he hesitated, and then Gintoki told him not to look for a present.

Even now, Hijikata did not understand why. Every other member had _something_ at least, and this knowledge was driving Hijikata absolutely insane.

“Hi-ji-ka-ta-san.” Sougo’s annoying voice pierced through the layers of daydream Hijikata had veiled himself in. “We’ve arrived.”

Hijikata blinked several times, then he opened the car door and jumped out. Looking around, he was pleased to see that the members were actually doing as he had told them to before leaving this morning; some had already dressed up even though there was still time, and some others were now sweeping the front of the building.

Hijikata quickly made his way inside. There was still much left to be done.

* * *

A little tipsy, Hijikata was making his way down the dim-lit corridor, following Gintoki’s silhouette. He managed to drink only a little bit, but even so he could feel that his cheeks were flushed and that he was a little less steady on his feet than he would have preferred.

He didn’t know why Gintoki asked him to come along after dinner. He knew, however, that the large Japanese room was this way, and that was slightly puzzling. It was a place meant for traditional ceremonies, and the group rarely ever used it – so rarely that Hijikata had yet to see a ceremony being held there, as there hadn’t been one since he was bought out. Gintoki seemed to be really headed there, though, and Hijikata could not fathom why. Still, he kept silent, fully trusting Gintoki and his decisions.

Gintoki paused in front of the sliding doors, taking a deep breath. There was yellow light seeping through the paper of the shoji, and perhaps picking up on Gintoki’s feelings, Hijikata suddenly felt a little anxious. He didn’t know what awaited him beyond this door. Nervously, he adjusted his haori, swallowing hard.

Finally, Gintoki slid the shoji open and entered. Hijikata, still blinded by the light, followed, but he froze at the entrance as soon as his eyesight adjusted.

On the platform to which they had just walked onto, there was an altar with three scrolls on it, and twelve candles burning bright; next to those, there was a bottle of saké and a single cup, three mounds of salt, and two raw sea breams of the same size.

All of the members – _all of them_ – were seated silently on the floor of the lower part of the room. Some of them were drunk well past reason, but at a single glance, Hijikata could see that there wasn’t a single person missing.

He choked on air briefly. He knew what this meant, but—

“Hijikata,” Gintoki turned to him, “what I want from you for my birthday is to have you by my side as an equal. I want you to be,” he paused, looking Hijikata straight in the eye, “another Head of the Hydra.” His expression was filled with anticipation.

“Okay,” Hijikata breathed out, his heart beating so loud he couldn’t hear himself. He’d never expected this to be why he wasn’t supposed to look for a birthday present. If anything, wasn’t this more of a present for _him_ than for Gintoki?

Gintoki’s eyes widened and a rare blush graced his pallid cheeks. Smiling, he grabbed Hijikata’s wrist and dragged him to the front of the altar where, on a separate smaller table, there was another bottle of sake and a different cup, and a piece of ceremonial paper. Gintoki sat down in front of it, dragging Hijikata along.

Feeling as though he was dreaming, Hijikata sat down as well and looked up. Also dressed in a haori, a senior member of the clan leaned in and poured saké into the cup wordlessly, filling it to the brim.

Normally, there would have been speeches, but Gintoki simply took the cup in his hands, and making eye contact with Hijikata momentarily, he put the cup to his lips without spilling a drop.

Hijikata watched him drink, his heart all but calm. He still couldn’t believe this was happening.

Gintoki finished drinking and held the cup out with his hands. Hijikata took it, and he desperately wished he could stop shaking for just one damn moment, but he couldn’t. With both heart and mind all jittery, he brought the cup to his lips. Before he closed his eyes to drink it, he noticed that Gintoki drank just about half of what was in the cup.

The liquid burned a little going down his throat, and he chose to blame that for the burning tears he was vainly trying to suppress.

He opened his eyes and just barely remembered to take the ceremonial paper and wrap the cup in it. Then, holding it with both of his hands, he put it in his breast pocket, then bowed his head towards Gintoki while he still couldn’t hear anything but his own heartbeat.

Gintoki nodded back a little less formally, then he got up and walked over to the altar to pour sake for the three kami who were overseeing this union. Hijikata got up, too, and he stood beside Gintoki; the two of them paid their respects to the altar together.

No words were spoken.

Hijikata was fine with that. He didn’t need to verbally profess what he felt; his loyalty to the clan and his love for the boss were unquestionable.

Finally, Gintoki turned to face the members. “If you guys are going to the baths after this,” he said, “go ahead. We still have…” he glanced at Hijikata, “urgent matters to discuss.”

With mumblings and shuffling, the members of the gang slowly made their leave one by one.

Gintoki watched them leave, and only after he and Hijikata were the only ones remaining in the room did he turn to meet Hijikata’s eyes. “You don’t have to get a tattoo if you don’t want to,” he said softly.

“Do you have one?” Hijikata asked. He had been avoiding seeing Gintoki undressed – subconsciously at first, and then on purpose after he realised that his heart could only beat at the pace of Gintoki’s breath. He _figured_ that Gintoki had one, but he had never seen it and was very much not sure.

“Yeah,” Gintoki nodded in confirmation.

“Then, I want to,” Hijikata said guilelessly.

Gintoki hung his head briefly. “Even though your skin is so sensitive?” he muttered.

Hijikata felt blood rush to his cheeks, and his ears felt hot as well. “That doesn’t matter,” he objected, then he cleared his throat. “You wanted to discuss something?” he attempted to change the topic.

Gintoki looked him in the face, and for a moment, Hijikata could not read him.

Then, he was tugged closer, and he felt warm lips on his own.

The thought to struggle was washed away instantly, and he gave in to it, clutching Gintoki’s shoulder so hard his knuckles turned white. His mind was completely empty, and though he felt his knees giving in, he closed his eyes and allowed all of it, the taste of another’s tongue, the arm wrapped around his waist, the firm embrace.

Reluctantly, their mouths parted.

Hijikata took an unsteady breath, his kiss-swollen lips trembling as he attempted to regain composure. He looked into Gintoki’s eyes, searching for answers. “W… why?” he let out, something inside of him aching terribly.

Gintoki’s expression was gentle. “Do you think I have not noticed the way you look at me?” he said, reaching up to caress Hijikata’s hair.

Hijikata evaded him. “I don’t want your pity,” he muttered bitterly, looking away.

Gintoki’s hands grabbed his hips and tugged him closer again. “Does this feel like pity to you?” he bellowed into Hijikata’s ear, his voice strained and heated. Hijikata swallowed hard; Gintoki had an erection, and he could feel it clearly against his own. Though he did not know how it was possible, his heartbeat sped up even more and redness flooded not only his face, but his ears and chest as well. Gintoki was pressed to him closely, aroused in the same way as Hijikata himself, and he smelled so good despite the scent of saké on his breath…

“I want you,” Gintoki said in a sultry, warm tone that got right under Hijikata’s skin.

Hijikata looked away again. He wanted to just nod, he _really_ wished he could, but he did not want to be a substitute. “I,” he said, and it was frustrating how he could feel his voice shaking, “I don’t want to be a third wheel. The guy whose picture you keep in your bedroom—”

“Shush.” Gintoki stopped him, never letting go. “There are some things I can’t have,” he whispered, “but it would be a damn shame for this flame to die as well, wouldn’t it?”

When Hijikata didn’t reply, Gintoki continued whispering as he began to fiddle with the cords at the front of Hijikata’s haori. “It’s not pity, and I’m not… _settling_ for something less interesting but attainable,” he said, pulling the haori off of Hijikata’s shoulders; he dropped it on the floor. “You are not a replacement.” His hands found their way to the ties of Hijikata’s hakama, and that was when Hijikata grabbed his wrists.

“Wait… here?” Hijikata stopped him in his tracks. Not only was he not ready for anything like this – to do the thing he both dreaded and wished for _here_ , in the Japanese room, which was easily accessible by any other member at all times…

“Doesn’t it turn you on?” Gintoki gently but firmly freed his hands and tried untying Hijikata’s hakama again. “It turns _me_ on.”

“Let’s at least go somewhere more private,” Hijikata managed to say, and he _hated_ that it was but a whimper. He was already a hot mess under his formal clothes, and if Gintoki were to really touch him directly, he’d most likely lose his goddamn mind.

Gintoki hesitated. “Do you… not want to?” he said uncertainly.

Something inside of Hijikata broke. “I do,” he breathed out dejectedly. “You have no idea.”

“Then, let’s go.” Gintoki stepped away and turned to less than ceremonially extinguish the candles on the altar. Then, he looked at Hijikata, who was standing there still trying to comprehend what was about to happen, and he reached out his hand without a word.

Swallowing hard, Hijikata took it, and _really_ hoping he was not going to wake up to find out this was all but a pleasant illusion, he let himself be led out of the room, down the hall, and toward Gintoki’s bedroom.

It was here that he first saw Gintoki’s face, and back then, he didn’t think much of it; it was kind of mediocre, and he couldn’t really see Gintoki as attractive then, especially since he had assumed that Gintoki only had the vilest of plans with him. Instead, Gintoki offered freedom – and Hijikata did not take it. Against what Gintoki seemed to have expected, he had agreed to join the clan, and it was only gradually that Hijikata came to see the ways he found Gintoki rather handsome.

To stay was probably simultaneously the best and the worst decision he’d ever made. Before he was bought out, he hated the way they dictated his life, and he hated being but a piece of meat – but once he wound up here and not soon after found himself being interested in Gintoki, there were nights he almost wished that he could go back, to the time before he ever met that blasted perm-head. Being locked up in cages and made to learn all sorts of nasty things was horrible, but being around Gintoki and longing for an unattainable touch was also a kind of suffering, a kind he’d never wanted to come to know.

Now, though, his days of pining were over, and knowing that, he felt lighter on his feet, even though his heart couldn’t keep up and was beating so hard it could break.

When they came into the view of the door, Gintoki sped up a little, dragging Hijikata along. His hand was sweating a little as it was clutching the other’s firmly.

They entered, closed the door, and Hijikata was immediately pinned to the wall, Gintoki’s lips softly pressed against his own, a hand strongly clutching his shoulder. He opened his mouth, both in silent protest and to invite Gintoki to do more, and he closed his eyes. Gintoki’s tongue entered his mouth, hesitantly at first, and Hijikata felt fingers combing through his hair. They travelled a little lower, grazing Hijikata’s ear, and then they warmly rested at the back of his neck.

Hijikata found himself relaxing into Gintoki’s touch, wanting to feel it more. His heart wanted to leap out of his chest with elation, but even so, he felt strangely calm.

“Your face is red,” Gintoki whispered, mirth echoing in his voice.

“Shuddup,” Hijikata turned away out of habit.

Gintoki chuckled and leaned in; he let go of Hijikata’s shoulder and trailed his palm down Hijikata’s chest, and then lower, shamelessly shoving his hand into the slit of Hijikata’s hakama. “Huh, you went full traditional tonight,” he commented, stroking the inner side of Hijikata’s thigh. His fingers caressed Hijikata’s skin in an upward motion, and Hijikata suppressed a groan when he felt them tease around _that place_.

“Let’s move to bed?” Gintoki suggested, and when Hijikata glanced at him, he saw a little bit of redness under Gintoki’s eyes as well. He nodded meekly.

They moved the few remaining steps, and Gintoki wasted no time in pushing Hijikata backwards onto the sheets. He fumbled with Hijikata’s clothes, opening his shirt partially.

Again, Hijikata looked away, and his gaze happened to fall onto the picture on the desk.

He hesitated. The man the picture seemed to be looking at him, and for that reason alone, Hijikata was instantly flooded with guilt. “Gintoki, I—” he let out tensely, “I can’t, after all.”

Gintoki froze, and he looked Hijikata in the eye. Then, he glanced back, following Hijikata’s line of sight – and he promptly got off the bed, walked over to the desk and turned the picture face down. “I’ll get rid of it tomorrow,” he said before Hijikata could object. “You should be a little selfish from time to time, you know.”

At a loss, Hijikata took a deep breath; his mouth opened, then closed – and finally, he reached his hand out wordlessly, his whole body trembling unnoticeably.

Gintoki gave a small relieved smile and closed the distance between them, pushing Hijikata down once more. There was a moment’s hesitation, and then Gintoki leaned in to place a chaste kiss on Hijikata’s cheek.

Taking a shaky breath, Hijikata reached up to clutch Gintoki’s curls, and he propped himself up on his elbow for a desperate, clumsy kiss. All of his ‘training’ had instantly flown away, and he couldn’t remember how to do anything at all; all he knew was that he wanted to touch and be touched, to taste and be tasted.

Gintoki’s hand found its way into his hakama again, and this time, Hijikata accidentally bit Gintoki’s lip because Gintoki wrapped his fingers around…!

Hijikata shuddered, his back arching upwards and mind completely blank. He had been erect for a while just from the kissing, so now that his dick finally received some love, he was blown away. It was unknown to him, and it was _amazing_.

“Mo—” he whimpered, because _fuck_ , he was already so close – and Gintoki complied, somehow knowing almost exactly what to do and how to touch… or maybe, as long as it was Gintoki, he could do anything, and Hijikata would be just as excited.

Gintoki’s lips moved to the side and slowly began trailing kisses towards Hijikata’s pulse point, his intermittent breaths tickling Hijikata’s skin. It was tantalising; he desperately wanted to come, there was a heat burning in the pit of this stomach demanding release, and he could not hold back the moan that escaped his throat when Gintoki’s thumb rubbed _just_ the right spot. He was _so damn close—_

“Gin—”

He held his breath as he came, for a moment unable to see a thing.

Breathing heavily, he blinked over and over again in an attempt to clear his vision while Gintoki was not letting go of his cock.

Even though he just came, he was still erect; being this close to Gintoki and breathing _nothing_ but Gintoki’s scent was deeply intoxicating. The saké he had drunk tonight had nothing on this feeling. His hands, clutching the sheet underneath, cramped painfully, but he didn’t let go until the last spark of ecstasy was gone.

The feeling of his formal hakama being soiled with his own sperm made him feel deeply ashamed, but there was no ancestor he had to apologise to; his loyalty was to his boss and his boss only. With cheeks flushed deep red and breath still uneven, he peered at Gintoki through his eyelashes.

Gintoki loomed over him and _finally_ began taking his own clothes off, his gaze never leaving Hijikata’s dishevelled form beneath him.

Hijikata watched the show unfolding before him with eager eyes. Gintoki got rid of his haori, and Hijikata swallowed hard, shivering with excitement. Then, Gintoki shrugged off his kimono shirt as well, and Hijikata could not stifle a gasp. There was a tattoo reaching all the way to Gintoki’s upper chest, and there was no doubt his entire back was covered in it, too.

Slowly and as though in trance, Hijikata sat up, reaching out to touch that work of art – just lightly with his fingertips, but even so, his heartbeat became faster again, and he felt a little winded just sitting there.

“Can,” he cleared his throat, “can I see?”

Gintoki froze, but then he sat down, nodding. “Sure.”

Hijikata moved over behind Gintoki, and settling down in seiza, he hesitantly placed his palms on the majestic dragon coiling across Gintoki’s skin. So vivid it seemed almost alive, it was warm to the touch, and though it was wild and tremendously imposing, Hijikata found the sight and sensation of it comforting. This deadly serpent was his solace.

Trembling, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss between Gintoki’s shoulder blades, resting his forehead there momentarily. Though the dragon before him was a sign that this man was the main head of the Hydra, the most important as well as the most dangerous one, Hijikata happened to find himself in the dragon’s merciful gaze. That should have been more than enough for him, and yet, he gave in to his undying greed—

Realising he had moisture in his eyes, he kissed Gintoki’s back softly once more.

He’d die for this man without missing a heartbeat.

“You okay?” Gintoki glanced over his shoulder.

“I’m… yeah,” Hijikata breathed out, even though it was a complete lie. “We can…” he swallowed hard, “keep going.”

Gintoki turned to him, and with a hint of hesitation, he connected their lips in a deep but slow kiss, cradling Hijikata’s head in his palms softly.

Hijikata melted into it instantly, closing his tear-glazed eyes. He was filled with anticipation – still, ashamed to show it, he only wrapped his arms around Gintoki’s neck, feeling himself turn even redder than before.

Gintoki’s callous hand caressed Hijikata’s nape, then shoulders, as he carefully and gently removed Hijikata’s shirt. He then undid the knot on Hijikata’s hakama, and with Hijikata’s help, they took it off and threw it aside. Gintoki’s fingers reached for Hijikata’s crotch again, eliciting a stifled sound from the other as a sweet reward, gathering up some of Hijikata’s semen shamelessly.

Hijikata clutched Gintoki’s bicep when he felt fingers lightly prod at his entrance, and he spread his legs a little more.

He realised that he was… _anxious_. Despite trusting Gintoki with his life, he was scared of what was about to happen, though only a little.

Gintoki’s digit entered him slowly – just one at first – and Hijikata bit his lip, doing his best to keep silent as new tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn’t bear it if he made a sound and it happened to turn Gintoki off.

It wasn’t painful, but the unfamiliar sensation consumed him, and he couldn’t think at all. He attempted to relax, his head leaning back, but then he felt teeth sharply nibble on his nape, and an involuntary moan escaped his throat.

Before he managed to gather his bearings at least a little bit, a second finger entered him; with mouth gaping, he was squeezing his eyelids tightly shut, holding onto Gintoki for dear life. The stretch he felt down there was strange but not unpleasant, and his erection was not faltering.

Gintoki’s hand suddenly moved in a different way, and Hijikata’s eyes opened abruptly, not looking at anything at all as a million of stars wiped his vision.

“Feels good?” Gintoki whispered and did the same thing once more, making Hijikata’s legs shiver like those of a new-born fawn. Hijikata clung to Gintoki even closer, and only on a subconscious level was he realising that he started digging his nails into the other’s broad back. Gintoki didn’t seem to mind, nosing at Hijikata’s nape before grazing it with his teeth. That kind of touch, electrifying on Hijikata’s now hyper-sensitised skin, turned Hijikata’s mind entirely blank.

“Gintoki,” he let out his partner’s name strenuously, and it came out terribly unchaste, but he didn’t even care. Awkwardly, he grabbed a fistful of Gintoki’s hair and pulled his head back enough to catch him in a kiss. Gintoki didn’t protest, but as his tongue slipped past Hijikata’s lips again, he pushed a third finger inside Hijikata without warning.

Hijikata’s toes curled so hard they began cramping. He was getting close to cumming for the second time, but he tried his best to hold back; he would much rather cum with Gintoki reaching his deepest parts.

Their lips parted and Hijikata, breathing heavily, opened his eyes just a little bit to look at Gintoki and was rewarded by the rarest of sights – Gintoki was blushing, and there was a smile curving his glistening lips as he was gazing feverishly at Hijikata’s face. A pleasant shudder ran down Hijikata’s spine. He had been longing for this, but he never would have imagined that it was going to happen, ever, so it still felt a little unreal.

Gintoki pulled his fingers out without warning, and Hijikata whimpered dejectedly. “Wh—” he began, but his voice failed him.

“I need to get a condom,” Gintoki said, backing away. He paused briefly to finally get rid of his own hakama as well; he had been uncomfortable for a while now.

As soon as he was naked, Hijikata’s hand shot up and wrapped around Gintoki’s wrist; he yanked Gintoki down, and Gintoki, who wasn’t expecting that, fell right on top of him.

Hijikata’s lips pressed to his ear. “We don’t need it,” Hijikata let out in a breathless whisper; one of his hands reached to Gintoki’s crotch blindly, wanting to make him feel good as well. As soon as his fingertips came into contact with Gintoki’s skin, he felt his mouth going dry again. Licking his lips in a vain attempt to moisten them at least a little, he wrapped his uncertain fingers around Gintoki’s dick. Scooting a little lower between Gintoki’s legs to gain a little more freedom of movement, he pumped his wrist; slick, warm precum leaked into his palm.

Gintoki let him do as he pleased for a few moments, but soon, he couldn’t take it, and leaning in, he whispered into Hijikata’s ear, “Let me put it in you already.”

Hijikata’s heart skipped a beat but he did let go of what he was holding – and then he froze, not knowing what to do. Gintoki did not seem to have noticed; softly, he began caressing Hijikata’s upper body, his hands travelling downward, feeling every muscle on the other’s toned chest. They went past Hijikata’s waistline, and gently ran over his abdomen to go even further.

Gintoki pushed Hijikata’s knees up and apart; Hijikata screwed his eyes shut once more. Shakily, he reached past his balls with one hand to find his hole, wanting to feel where they would soon connect, while he covered his face in shame with the other.

When he felt something warm against him down below, he peered at Gintoki between his fingers. Gintoki’s eyes were closed, and he was furrowing his brows a little as he slowly lined up with Hijikata and pushed himself in with a great deal of restraint. Hijikata let out a strained groan; Gintoki’s cock was pulsing inside of him, and though it hurt a little, it was outweighed by the immense joy Hijikata felt.

“Fuck,” Gintoki breathed out, his voice unsteady even in that lone word. “You good?”

Fully aware that if he were to answer verbally, he’d make a sound like a bitch in heat, Hijikata only nodded as his hands retreated strategically to his sides where he dug his fingers into the bedsheet. His own dick was resting heavily on his abdomen and he was glad that Gintoki wasn’t touching it because he’d end up cumming that way, and with what had already transpired, it was likely to knock him right out.

Gintoki drew his hips back slowly, and Hijikata squirmed helplessly as a wave of new sensations assaulted his senses. Instead of allowing him to rest for at least a split second, Gintoki started moving, and Hijikata completely lost control of his voice. It was too much; he couldn’t even hear himself, and though he knew that all sorts of sounds were escaping his throat, it was no longer in his power to keep quiet.

After a while, though still a total mess, he attempted to meet Gintoki’s thrusts, not wanting to be a dead lay. It was hard to get the hang of at first, but eventually, he managed to at least somewhat match Gintoki’s pace, even though whenever Gintoki touched that good spot inside, Hijikata’s mind was failing to keep up. He could hardly breathe, and though the desire to come already was agonising, there was a part of him wishing that this night would never end.

His legs locked around Gintoki’s waist, and he reached up, closing the distance between them and not even caring that he ended up restricting Gintoki’s movements. He wanted to be close, closer, the closest; without looking, he somehow managed to find Gintoki’s mouth with his own, and he fused their lips together again. There was a new wave of tears welling up in his eyes, and he ignored it stubbornly, clinging to Gintoki’s broad shoulders. Gintoki’s breath was heavy and hot, and Hijikata didn’t know if he was drunk on that, or on the saké he had had tonight.

Gintoki stopped for but a moment and swiftly lifted Hijikata off the bed, making him sit upright in his lap; Hijikata let out a cry but Gintoki ate it off his lips.

Hijikata attempted to move on his own, never letting go and never breaking their kiss. Scratching across Gintoki’s upper back slowly, he rocked his hips, incoherent sounds escaping his throat as he felt Gintoki reach deeper. For a while, there were strong and slightly roughened palms on his waist, guiding his pace, but eventually they disappeared and Gintoki braced himself on the bed and began thrusting into Hijikata’s ass, gradually speeding up.

Hijikata’s head was spinning, and out of breath, he finally stopped kissing Gintoki continuously and instead he leaned on Gintoki’s shoulders, and kneeling, he did his best to move with the other. With his tongue sticking dryly to the roof of his mouth, he breathed heavily, his eyelids shut so tightly that he was seeing stars. If there was any space for rational thought before, it was long gone, and he kept going as that sweet, sweet feeling of being as close to Gintoki as humanly possible clouded his mind.

One of Gintoki’s hands squeezed Hijikata’s butt cheek as his teeth began nibbling lightly anywhere they could reach, all over his tender chest and shoulders and sometimes nape when he got lucky—

—and Hijikata’s eyes snapped open in surprise and shock. “Wait—” he choked out, but it was too late, and he came all over Gintoki’s chest.

Gintoki didn’t stop, and Hijikata’s vision turned dark; he gasped for air, desperate to fill his lungs, but it didn’t seem to be enough. He was dizzy and weak, but sensitive as he was, especially so at the moment, somehow he felt a second, additional orgasm lining up, and knowing that he had no control over it made him a little scared but much more excited.

With heartbeat drumming in his ears, he held onto Gintoki with all his remaining might, unable to move along but not wanting to ever stop. The cold night’s air on his sweaty skin was not enough to cool off the fire he felt inside, burning with the desire to feel more, now and forever, so that they would always stay connected.

Blindly, he mouthed at Gintoki’s nape.

Finally, Gintoki clutched Hijikata’s hipbone strongly and he buried himself as deep as he could, groaning Hijikata’s name.

Hijikata, too, came hard, but without a drop, and it lasted much longer than last time. Feeling as though he was sinking, he began leaning backwards. His consciousness almost slipped away in between his fingers, but he managed to grab a hold of it in the last second; even so, his arms had lost all strength, and his body collapsed onto the soft sheets.

For a split second, nothing moved. Hijikata’s eyelids closed, suddenly as heavy as lead, but he felt _amazing_. Completely drained of energy and feeling entirely gelatinous, he allowed himself to melt into the comfortable sensation he was filled with. He knew that he was also filled with something _else_ , but for the moment, he couldn’t be bothered to fix that.

Gintoki pulled out and got off the bed; Hijikata could hear rustling, and then the bed sank once more.

He didn’t have it in him to resist when Gintoki pulled out a few tissues to clean his behind; if he weren’t so exhausted, it would have been terribly embarrassing, but he couldn’t lift a finger, and so he allowed Gintoki to take care of everything he’d normally have chosen to rush to the bathroom for. His lips were tingling a little from having kissed for so damn long, but he did not spare a single thought to regretting what just went down. Even if it were to happen only once and never again, his deepest, darkest wish had been fulfilled, and if he were to get killed tomorrow, he’d die happy.

Gintoki walked away only to return moments after. Hijikata could sense him loom over his barely conscious form; there was the scent of Gintoki’s body, and Hijikata briefly relished in the memory of what just happened.

“Gosh, you’re such a sexy mess,” Gintoki whispered, gently wiping saliva off of Hijikata’s chin.

Hijikata opened his eyes drowsily.

“You were awake?” Gintoki moved his hand away immediately.

“Yeah,” Hijikata grumbled and turned his back to Gintoki. He wished Gintoki wouldn’t have killed the mood in this way, but it also seemed _so_ like something the boss would do that Hijikata just let it slide.

He felt a light touch at the back of his neck; Gintoki began combing through his hair gently. It was pleasant, and Hijikata relaxed a little again.

“Even though I asked you to join me by my side,” Gintoki whispered, “you seriously don’t have to get a tattoo. It ain’t a requirement.” His fingers were caressing Hijikata’s sweat-dampened nape and feeling every shiver they elicited.

“I told you. I want one, too,” Hijikata replied firmly. “It wouldn’t be right otherwise.”

“Stubborn bastard,” Gintoki pinched Hijikata’s skin lightly. “If you’re scared, I’ll come with you and hold your hand,” he added, his voice teasing.

Hijikata scoffed. “Like that’s gonna happen.”

Gintoki only chuckled and did not reply as his arm pulled Hijikata closer into a warm embrace. Hijikata closed his eyes again. This, too, was just another cage – but he’d be damned if he ever were to leave it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those morons left Hijikata’s haori on the floor in the Japanese room, lol.
> 
> I had sources, but I also had to improvise on the sakazuki (saké exchange) part there.  
> Sources:  
> https://yakuzahistory.wordpress.com/sakazuki/#_edn6  
> http://www.web-sanin.co.jp/gov/boutsui/mini08.htm

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to check out [maru](https://twitter.com/marrbl_?s=09), and all the other works in the [Birthday Bash](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ginbdaybash2020) as well!


End file.
